5 Times Shaak Ti Helps The Batch and One Time The Batch Help Shaak Ti
Hello, everyone. This prompt was suggested by Sliena Natasha. ENjoy.
Shaak Ti was walking towards her room when she heard whimpering and crying. She walked into her room and saw a figure curled up in the corner. His face was buried in his knees. Shaak Ti walked over and knelt in front of the clone.
"What is it?" Shaak Ti wondered. She lifted the boy's chin and she noticed that his hair was dark and much longer than the other clones. Then she noticed all the cuts, bruises, and blood on the boy. "Hunter, what happened?"
"I...I... We were separated again. They sent us off to different planets to have us trained. It hurts so much." Hunter cried. He began to sob and Shaak TI pulled him into her arms and hushed him.
"Who did this to you? What's his name?"
"Kie Lo and Maro Larg."
"The Kaminoan scientist and the bounty hunter?"
"Yes."
Shaak Ti ran her fingers through Hunter's hair and rocked from side to side.
"How long, du tungu'ko?" Shaak Ti asked.
"109 rotations." Hunter whimpered. Shaak Ti felt her heart stop and she looked down at Hunter.
"You need help. Let's get you some help."
"No. No, please. I don't want the kaminoans to touch me. I don't want them to hurt me again or test me. Please?"
"Alright, but you do need help. Where are your brothers?"
"In our room, I think."
"Were any of them hurt?"
"I don't know. I just got back. They tested me again and then they told me to walk back to my room, but I couldn't. I... It was too much. Everyone looked at me and I... didn't know what to do."
"Shh, it's alright. It's alright, Hunter. Here."
Shaak Ti grabbed a large blanket and wrapped it around Hunter making sure to cover most of his body. Only his face could be seen and even then, only Shaak Ti could see his face.
"Let's get you to your brothers and out of these dirty clothes." Shaak Ti suggested. Hunter nodded and wrapped his arms around Shaak Ti's neck. Shaak Ti carefully stood up and walked out of her room. Hunter whimpered painfully and Shaak Ti hushed him. It wasn't long before she had reached the squad room. She used the force to open the door and she walked in and saw the boys huddled on Hunter's bunk. The brothers jumped out of bed and rushed over. Shaak Ti could see fear and pain in their eyes. Shaak Ti laid Hunter on his bunk and Hunter whimpered.
"How... how is he?" Crosshair wondered. Shaak Ti caressed Crosshair's cheek and smiled softly.
"He'll be alright. HE told me all of you had special training. Be honest with me. Were you abused by your trainers?" Shaak Ti questioned. The boys all looked at each other and then nodded shamefully. "Who were they? I promise you, I will have them arrested for child abuse and they will suffer for their crimes."
"Noal Becker," Tech murmured.
"JEkar Lesso." Wrecker answered.
"Tala Ri and Mino Awola." Crosshair sighed. Crosshair looked down at Hunter in concern and caressed Hunter's forehead. Then Crosshair looked at Shaak Ti and buried himself into her chest. Shaak Ti hugged Crosshair and he slowly reached to hug her back. "I'm so tired."
"I know, du tungu'ko." Shaak Ti whispered. "Let me go get a kit and I will take care of you. If you all behave and eat a good hearty meal, I might just see if I can find you some treats."
The boys smiled and Shaak Ti chuckled. Shaak Ti left the room and when she returned, the boys were all huddled together on the bunk.
"Crosshair, can you help Hunter take a shower? It will help clean his wounds and prevent infections. I want each of you to take a shower. It will help me to treat you better." Shaak Ti suggested. the boys got up and walked to their refresher and took their showers. Shaak Ti prepared the medscanner and pulled out what she might need. Tech walked out first and he sat on his bunk. Shaak Ti walked over and Tech removed his shirt and pants. Shaak Ti saw many bruises and only a few wounds. She applied a salve and then bandaged them.
"Better?" Shaak Ti wondered. Tech nodded and put his clothes back on. Shaak Ti smiled and sat with Tech while they waited for the others. Tech played with Shaak Ti's headdress and Shaak Ti smiled. A few minutes later, Wrecker came out and sat down beside them. Shaak Ti tended to his injuries which were slightly worse than Tech's. When she was done, Hunter and Crosshair walked out and sat down on the bunk curled up in each other's arms. Shaak Ti smiled and tapped Hunter's shoulder. Hunter looked up at Shaak Ti and sat up so she could examine him. Shaak Ti was shocked at the many bruises ad wounds covering the boy. Her heart broke for him. It took her a while to finish and then she treated Crosshair who didn't have as many injuries as Hunter, but he was much worse than the other two combined. When she was done, she grabbed a blanket that she had placed by the heater and she walked over and covered the boys.
"I'll be back with food for you boys. Try to rest." Shaak Ti suggested. The boys nodded and Shaak Ti left the room. Soon, she was walking back using the force to carry 5 trays. She walked to the door and sighed. A clone walked by and stopped. "Cody, am I correct?"
"Yes, General. Can I help you?" Cody wondered.
"Yes, can you please open the door for me? I'm afraid I have my hands full."
"Of course, but shouldn't these cadets be in the cafeteria?"
"It's a delicate matter."
Cody opened the door and watched Shaak Ti walk in. He peaked in and saw the four.
"You four are like 99," Cody said.
"Yes, they are, but they are still useful. Cody, be kind." Shaak Ti replied.
"I am, General. It's just... they're different."
Shaak Ti looked at the boys who were hiding from Cody.
"Come on, you four. Cody won't hurt you." Shaak Ti said. The boys climbed out of the bunk and sat at the table and started eating. They still cowered away from Cody.
"What happened to them?" Cody wondered.
"A great many things. These poor boys are very unique, but it comes at a price. They are not treated kindly by the Kaminoans or by other clones."
"It's not right."
"No, it isn't. Perhaps, you can look out for them, Cody. After all, you are a year and a half older than them. You're full-grown and they will be soon."
"Of course, General."
"Good. Now, you should go before you get in trouble."
Cody left the room and Shaak Ti sat down and ate her meal. Shaak Ti watched Hunter and Tech struggle to eat their food due to their injured hands. Crosshair grabbed their knives and cut their food up for them. Then Wrecker patted both of his brothers on the back. Shaak Ti chuckled and smiled. When she was done, she smiled at the empty trays.
"I will return with dessert. You have done very well." Shaak Ti said. Shaak Ti left the room and took care of the trays. Then she snuck into the kitchen and made something special for the boys. When she was done, she grabbed spoons, bowls, and the pot and took it to the squad room. She walked in and saw Cody talking and playing with the boys. When the boys saw Shaak Ti, they rushed to the table and sat down. Cody stood up and walked over.
"You boys are spoiled." Cody chuckled.
"They were very well behaved and they ate all their dinner. Besides, after all, they've been through. They deserve a treat."
Shaak Ti filled the bowls with pudding and gave them to each boy. Then she handed a bowl to Cody.
"Not one word." Shaak Ti ordered.
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am." Cody thanked as he sat down next to the boys. Shaak Ti watched as the boys slowly ate their pudding and she watched as they smiled and ate some more.
"Is it good?" Shaak Ti wondered. The boys nodded and Shaak Ti smiled. She walked over to Hunter's bunk and prepare it for the boys. When she was done, she saw Hunter and Cody playing Dejarik. She watched as Hunter won easily against Cody.
"Now that's luck." Cody chuckled.
"Not when I've won every round against you," Hunter replied.
"Hunter's the best at Dejarik. No one can beat him. Not even general Shaak Ti." Wrecker exclaimed.
"Wrecker is right. Not even I can beat Hunter at this game." Shaak Ti replied.
"Hunter's good at all games about strategy," Tech stated.
Crosshair and Hunter looked at each other and started laughing and talking.
"You two remind me of another couple of cadets. They'll be graduating tomorrow. Maybe one day, you'll get to work with them or even with Cody." Shaak Ti said.
The boys smiled and finished their pudding. When they were done, Cody and Wrecker played on the floor and wrestled with each other. Of course, Wrecker won, but the two had fun. Then Cody helped Tech process some data and figure out how to repair their droid. Then he sat with Crosshair and taught him how to clean his weapon almost perfectly. When he was done, it was obviously time for bed. Shaak Ti corraled the boys into one bunk and watched them curl up under the blankets and in each other's arms. When the boys were asleep, Shaak Ti and Cody took care of the dishes and left the boys to sleep.
Shaak Ti walked into the room and saw the boys working on their various projects. Wrecker was busy lifting everything he possibly could while Tech sat at the table working on machinery. Crosshair was working on his aim while Hunter sat at the table drawing. Wrecker groaned as his load of boxes fell over again.
"Why won't they stay up?" Wrecker wondered. ShaakTi watched as Wrecker stacked the boxes not caring about their sizes.
"Perhaps stacking them larger to smallest will help." Shaak Ti suggested. Wrecker looked at his pile and shrugged his shoulder. He stacked the boxes the way Shaak Ti suggested and smiled. He lifted the boxes and they didn't fall.
"Thanks, General."
"You're very welcome."
Shaak Ti heard groaning coming from Crosshair and she turned to watch him hit his target but he missed. She watched him and noticed that he was aggravated and growing discouraged. She walked over and placed her hands on Crosshair's shoulders.
"Stop for a moment and get a hold of your emotions. You must be in control of your emotions or else you will fail. Sometimes, emotions get in your way and prevent you from accomplishing the task at hand." Shaak Ti explained. Crosshair sighed and looked at Shaak Ti. "Take a deep breathe and count to 10." Crosshair did as he was told and then he aimed at his target and fired his gun. He hit his target and smiled smugly. Shaak Ti smiled and nodded. "Very good, Crosshair. You will be a fine sniper."
Shaak Ti heard Tech huffed and she walked over and saw that he was working on some machinery.
"What's wrong?" Shaak Ti wondered.
"I can't figure out what's wrong with this astromech. I did everything right. He should be working." Tech answered.
"What's wrong with it?"
"He keeps going backward instead of forwards and he doesn't follow commands. I don't understand. I fixed his wiring."
"Perhaps, it is not the wiring. Perhaps it's his legs."
Tech looked and found that the legs were built incorrectly. HE repaired them and smiled as the astromech moved correctly, but it still didn't follow commands. Tech sighed and Shaak Ti placed a hand on his shoulder.
"In every situation. There is more than what meets the eye. You will often have to look deeper, feel deeper, think deeper, and listen carefully. Think outside the box, Tech. If it's not his wiring then what else could it be?" Shaak Ti asked.
"Hmm. Maybe his head?" Tech wondered.
"Check."
Tech checked and noticed that the astromech's head had a loose connection. Tech repaired it and the astromech was as good as new.
"Thank you, General." Tech thanked.
"You're welcome." Shaak Ti answered.
Hunter huffed and ran his fingers through his growing bangs. Shaak Ti walked over and saw that Hunter's hair was getting in his face and was aggravating him.
"Someone needs a haircut." Shaak Ti said. Hunter looked at Shaak Ti in shock and shook his head.
"No. I like it... Just... not when I'm trying to draw." Hunter replied. Shaak Ti pulled out a piece of red cloth and ripped it into three pieces. She took one piece and folded it. Then she tied it around Hunter's head.
"Better?"
"Yeah. Thanks, Shaak Ti."
"here, now you have three bandanas."
Hunter took them and he grabbed the paint. He painted their symbol on the two bandanas and then removed the one he had on and replaced it with a freshly painted one.
"How does it look?" Hunter wondered. Shaak Ti chuckled and smiled.
"It's you, Hunter." Shaak Ti answered. Hunter smiled and Shaak Ti painted his third one. "There. Now they all match."
After that, each of the boys remembered how Shaak Ti took the time to help each of them.
The batch arrived home after a mission and saw that Kamino was a mess. They saw Shaak Ti and Cody and they rushed over.
"General, what happened here?" Hunter questioned. Shaak Ti and Cody looked at each other sadly and then a body was carried past them. Hunter looked at Cody who looked away. Hunter walked over and stopped the clones. He removed the sheet and jumped back at what he saw. The others walked over and when they saw who it was, they followed hUnter back to their squad room.
"I will go take care of them." Shaak Ti suggested.
"Yeah. I'll... I'll stop by when I'm done here." Cody sighed.
Shaak Ti walked to the squad room and saw armor and weapons thrown all over the place. She looked and saw each of the batchers in their bunks. Shaak Ti walked over to Hunter and tried to comfort him, but he moved away. Shaak Ti's heart broke and she walked over to Crosshair who had the same response. She walked over to Tech who shook his head. Shaak Ti walked over to Wrecker who accepted her comfort. SHe comforted Wrecker as he cried and she looked at the other brothers in concern. After a long while, Hunter got up and walked over to the window.
"What... what happened?" Hunter wondered. "How did it happen?"
"The separatists attacked Kamino. Cody, 99, a few clone troopers and cadets were trapped in a barrack. They created a plan to stop the separatist and it worked, but in the process... 99 was shot and he did. He died a soldier." Shaak Ti explained.
"But he wasn't a soldier. HE was just a maintenance clone." Crosshair spat.
"That's what the Kaminoans and bounty hunters would say, and maybe even some of the clones. But you and I do not think of him quite that way. 99 did take care of this place, but he was also a brother and a good mentor and advisor. I cannot count the number of times he has helped a clone with their struggles. 99 was the best."
Wrecker started chuckling and everyone looked down at him.
"Whenever 99 had some time off, he'd come and tell us stories and he play with us. I still remember the fights we would have in here." Wrecker chuckled.
"Yeah. Those were fun times." Tech agreed.
"Remember how every time we got into a fight, he'd come get us?" Hunter wondered.
"Yeah, he'd always say, 'Well, if it isn't the bad batch. What have you done this time?'" Crosshair recalled.
Cody walked in and looked at the boys.
"Yeah. To everyone else, we were the defects or CLone Force 99, but to 99 we were the bad batch." Hunter sighed.
"Maybe that should be your squad name," Cody suggested. "A lot of squads have other names. Their military name and then their personal name. Your military name could be CLone Force 99 and your personal name could be The Bad Batch."
"I think the Bad Batch is a wonderful name." Shaak Ti agreed.
"99 would be proud." Crosshair stated. The brothers agreed and Hunter chuckled.
"The Bad Batch it is." Hunter chuckled.
"Good. Now, if you will excuse me. I think I'm going to go get a treat from the cafeteria. The Jedi order has decided to spoil you clones with some dessert." Shaak Ti stated. Shaak Ti left the room and when she returned, she saw the brothers sitting on the couch with Cody.
"How is that even comfortable?" Shaak Ti wondered.
"At least they don't smell." Cody chuckled.
"Come and get some pudding."
The batch rushed to the table and Cody walked over and sat down with them. The pudding was good after a rough mission and an even rougher homecoming. Losing 99 was hard, but Shaak Ti kept an eye on the boys and comforted them when they needed it.
The batch arrived home with Echo. They walked to their squad room and helped Echo get settled in. Shaak Ti walked in and saw how tired the boys were.
"I hear you had a few rough missions together." Shaak Ti said.
"Rough is an understatement. We were on our way home after Echo joined us, but that did not happen." Tech replied. Shaak Ti walked up to Echo and smiled.
"It's good to see that you are alive, Echo. I am very sorry for the loss of your twin, Fives. He was a good man." Shaak Ti apologized.
"Thank you, General." Echo replied.
"You are in good hands. Get some rest. All of you."
Shaak Ti left the room and went to hers. In the middle of the night, Shaak Ti woke up and felt a need to visit the batch. She walked to their room and entered the squad room to see the brother surrounding Echo's hammock. They were trying to help him, but they couldn't.
"Here, let me." Shaak Ti suggested. Using the force, Shaak Ti relaxed Echo's mind and he relaxed. Shaak Ti looked at the brothers who were all very concerned and sad. "Give it time. He'll open up to you soon and you will learn how to help him adjust."
"Can you stay with us and help us?" Hunter murmured.
"Of course. Now, go to bed."
"You can have my bunk. I'll sleep on the couch."
Before Shaak Ti could object, Hunter had already grabbed a blanket and was lying on the couch. Shaak Ti shook her and walked over to Hunter's bunk and laid down. Every movement sent the brothers into a panic. They would sit up and look at Echo only to find that he was still asleep. A few hours passed before Echo started to have another nightmare. Hunter rushed over and hushed him. Echo woke up and looked around.
"Fives?" Echo gasped.
"He's gone, Echo. It's me. It's Hunter." Hunter answered.
"Hunter? Where am I?"
"You're in our squad room."
Echo looked around and sighed sadly.
"I miss him." Echo admitted.
"Fives?" Crosshair wondered.
"Yeah."
"What was he like?" Wrecker wondered. Echo chuckled and he got up and sat down on the couch.
"Well, he would have liked you guys. He could not be quiet unless he was on a mission and even then it was questionable. He was a prankster and he would twist everything you said. He couldn't lie if his life depended upon it, but he could back up someone else's lie. He was a good shot and a good leader. He was also bold and wise. He knew when to speak up and how to speak up but also knew when to keep his mouth shut. He was good at keeping secrets and he was a light sleeper. Heck, sometimes I wondered if he even fell asleep in the first place. He had good hearing and he could smell bull and treats a click away. He hated screeching noises and he liked picking on General Skywalker. In fact, one time, those two got into a full-out prank war." Echo explained.
"Well, what happened?" Hunter asked.
"Fives decided to put a tripwire around Skywalker's bunk. He did such a good job that SKywalker didn't even know about it till he had tripped the wire. All of a sudden, Skywalker comes running into our barracks screaming, 'FIVES! I will get you for this.' We all looked and there Skywalker is covered head to toe in this dye. It took a week of scrubbing just for it to come off. During that week, those two were constantly pulling pranks. Skywalker put this slime in Fives' boots Then Fives put this oil on the floor outside Skywalker's room. Then Skywalker replaced Fives' toothpaste with this dye which turned Fives' teeth brown. Then FIves' replaced Skywalker's shampoo with this dye that turned Skywalker's hair pink. It went on for 10 days." Echo recalled. By this point, everyone was laughing and listening.
"SO, how did it stop?"Tech asked.
"Padawan Ahsoka Tano. She was a togruta and she had quite the spitfire attitude. She was tough, wise, and very capable. One day, she had enough and she had different clones tell those two that they were needed by someone else. The two fell for it every time. ANd none of the clones would talk. Well, Ahsoka knew they'd blame General Kenobi or even Cody. SO, she rigged one of the conference rooms. She somehow even got the Jedi council's approval."
"Only because those two had caused quite the chaos." Shaak Ti chuckled.
"Well, she rigged the room with everything she could think of. Then she had had the hall locked down without their knowledge. It was completely abandoned in this one hall. No lights, no nothing. Cody told Skywalker and Fives that he and Kenobi wanted to see them in that conference room. SO, they go down that hall and they're a little suspicious. Well, they get to the door and they walk in. It looked completely normal, but no Cody and no Kenobi. So they turn around to leave and they tripped this laser. Well, the walls started shooting this sugary sticky substance and it was dyed. The floor's started shooting this awful smell. It was worse than the smell of toxic waste. Then, the ceiling started dumping the strongest glue you could think of and feathers. The girliest feathers too. What they didn't know was that Ahsoka had a hologram recording it. So, everyone got to watch as these two cursed and screamed like the little girls that they were. And we also got to watch them get beaten by a 15-year-old kid. In fact, I think I still have it and pictures and videos of the prank war." Echo recalled. Echo walked over to the bin of his belongings and found them. Then he saw some of Fives' belonging.
"I knew Rex kept a lot of our stuff, but I didn't know he gave me Fives' things." Echo said. He set the box on the floor and started pulling this out. He pulled out Fives' datapad and he looked through and saw many pictures and videos of the two of them and their squad. He found a video of them as cadets. The two were sneaking around the facilities. They walked into a room and saw the kaminoans and droids removing the infants from their tubes.
"There are so many of them." Fives gasped.
"Those are our little brothers." Echo whispered.
"One day, they'll be sent off to die. Just like we will be."
"We should before we get caught."
They snuck back to their barracks and then sat on the floor and recorded each other goofing off.
"This had to be at least 7 years ago. We were very young in this video." Echo chuckled. Echo chuckled as Fives acted like the drama king that he was. "I remember one of our first missions. We were sent to this childrens' medical facility on this planet. I can't remember where it was. Well, neither of us liked watching these kids suffer. They were all there for various of reasons and they were suffering. That much was obvious. Well, FIves decided to make the kids laugh a little so he grabbed several other clones and we put on this show for the kids. Fives had me record it. He said he wanted to look back after a really rough mission and remember why he was fighting. The kids were rolling over in laughter. He said it was one of the best days of his life." Echo found the video and played it. Everyone watched as Fives did impersonations and acted out different types of people. They watched as Echo and Fives told each other stupid jokes and reacted to them. The kids rolled around in laughter and by the end, the kids were begging for more.
"Fives was one of the best. He was more than a good soldier. He was a good man." Shaak Ti said. Shaak Ti guided the batch over to one of the bunks and they all climbed in and got comfortable. Echo sat in the middle and they watched many videos and looked at many pictures. Shaak Ti smiled and cleaned up Fives' things.
After that night, Echo seemed to adjust better. It was still hard, but it was better.
Shaak Ti watched as the batch rushed to their squad room obviously upset and sick. She rushed after them and walked in and saw that the room was empty, and armor was thrown all over the room. She heard the refresher and knew they were all getting cleaned up. She picked up a piece of armor and saw blood and dirt covering it. She cleaned the pieces of armor and put them on the batchers' bunks. When she was almost done, Echo, Tech, and Wrecker walked out. They all looked at Shaak Ti and then walked over to the table ignoring her. Shaak Ti decided not to push it. Several minutes later, Crosshair and Hunter walked out.
"What are you doing in here? Get out." Crosshair snapped last Shaak Ti.
"Crosshair, don't. It's over with." Hunter warned.
"No. SHe should know what happened. Since it's the Jedi that allowed it to happen."
Shaak Ti stood up and looked at the brothers.
"What happened?" Shaak Ti wondered.
"I... I don't want to talk about it and I don't want to hear about it either." Hunter answered. Shaak Ti walked over and placed a hand on Hunter's shoulder. Hunter pulled away and Shaak Ti looked up at him in concern. "Hunter, what happened?"
"Hunter, she needs to hear this from us." Echo stated.
"Well, you guys can talk about it if you want to. I'm leaving." Hunter choked. He rushed out of the room before anyone could stop him.
"We were sent to Hason Prime. The Jedi we served with was extreme and not in a good way. He was almost like the Jedi I heard about. Krell, I think he was. This one was almost as bad. We were sent to protect the innocent people from the Separatists. We were not to leave the area unless it was to protect the people. The Jedi told us to separate the people into men, women, and children. We didn't understand, but there were other clones who followed him blindly. Well, we got overrun and he told us to pull out, but he told us to leave the children. He said the Separatists wouldn't hurt them. He was wrong. Hunter stood up to him and said that the Separatist didn't care. They had one objective. Hunter had us disobey the Jedi. We snuck into the village hoping to save the children, but... it was too late. They were all gone and it wasn't a pretty sight. They were tortured and killed in agonizing ways. We went back and the Jedi threatened to court-martial us. Hunter told him to go die. He said that the Jedi lied about the Separatists and now, there were no children. What we didn't know was that he had sent the troops protecting the men and the women in different directions. Crosshair spotted the women's group, but before we could even do anything, the Speratisit destroyed them. We found the men's group, but... when they heard what had happened, they all took their lives. Hunter told us to pack up the ship. HE said there was no one to protect and that it was time to leave. We did. No one knows that we even left." Echo explained.
"I will have this Jedi taken care of immediately." Shaak Ti spat as she left the room. Shaak Ti made her report to the Jedi council who agreed with Shaak Ti. The Jedi was taken into custody and was charged with treason and genocide. Shaak Ti walked back to the squad room and saw that all but HUnter were sleeping. She looked around the facility and saw Hunter in one of the training rooms. She saw Cody watching him.
"Kenobi and I were nearby. Kenobi thought it was a good idea to stop by. He wants to speak to the Bad Batch about the Jedi." Cody stated. "He's been at that for several hours."
"He's feeling responsible and he's angry. Hunter might be quiet and cold, but he does tend to wear his heart on his sleeve. He cares for people. Especially those who can't care for themselves." Shaak Ti sighed.
"WHat's the verdict?"
"He's charged with treason and genocide. He was quickly removed from the Jedi order and tomorrow morning, he will be executed. He's too dangerous to have alive. And as much as I don't agree with execution, I'd be willing to make an exception in this case."
They watched as Hunter fell to his knees from exhaustion. He looked up at them and when he saw Shaak Ti, he left the training room. Shaak Ti and Cody rushed down to the area outside the training room and saw that Hunter wasn't there.
"Great." Cody sighed.
"He doesn't want to be found." Shaak Ti replied.
"No, he doesn't, but we will find him."
Shaak Ti looked around and thought about Hunter's personality. She walked down one of the halls leading to the tubes. Sure enough, she saw HUnter in one of the chambers looking at the many tubes of his little brothers. Shaak Ti walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hunter, it wasn't your fault. The Jedi will pay for his crimes." Shaak Ti stated.
"But those people... they're gone. AN entire people; an entire culture and way of life gone. Men died because they had nothing to live for. The women were brutally attacked and killed while the children... they were..." Hunter trailed off and looked away sadly.
"Hunter, nothing will ever repair the damage that has been done. Lives were taken needlessly and now, we are forced to move on, but we must not forget them. We must remember them."
"I can't even... It's been 2 rotations and I still can't even blink without seeing those bodies."
"I know, but don't shut people out, Hunter. DOn't shut down."
Hunter nodded and looked at Cody.
"Tell Kenobi that if he wants to know what happened, to have Tech send him the info. He recorded everything there." Hunter said.
"I will. Go get some sleep, soldier." Cody suggested. Hunter nodded and Shaak Ti led him back to his squad room. They walked in and saw that the brothers were awake from nightmares. Shaak Ti led Hunter to his bunk and nodded for the others to join them. Shaak Ti sat in the middle of the bunk and the boys sat beside her. Shaak Ti stayed with the boys till they were asleep and she watched over them through the night.
The batch hadn't heard from Shaak Ti in a while. Ever since Shaak Ti met them, she would always visit with them when she had the chance. The batch was on Kamino for a few days and Shaak Ti had just returned from Coruscant. When Shaak Ti didn't respond to their communications, they became worried.
"Maybe we should go visit her." Wrecker suggested.
"Or maybe she's busy." Crosshair warned.
"But even when she's busy, she still answers our comms," Hunter stated. "I'm with Wrecker. Come on."
Hunter and Wrecker rushed out of the squad room and the others followed. They walked quickly to Shaak Ti's quarters and pressed the button letting her know they were there.
"Maybe she's not here." Echo stated.
"No, she is," Hunter answered. "SOmething's not right."
They opened the door and looked in and saw Shaak Ti curled up in her bed shivering. The brothers rushed over and knelt beside Shaak Ti. Hunter placed a hand on Shaak Ti's forehead and drew it back when he felt how hot she was.
"Shaak Ti?" Hunter whispered.
Shaak Ti opened her eyes and looked around at the very worried boys looking down at her.
"What are you boys doing here?" Shaak Ti wondered.
"We were worried. You didn't answer our comms. We came to check on you. We should get you some help." Hunter answered.
"No. I will be fine. It's just a simple virus."
"But you're burning up."
"I will be fine, Hunter."
"She's right. It's only a simple virus, but it can be rough for some people." Tech stated. "She just needs fluids, supplements, and plenty of rest."
Crosshair grabbed a canteen and opened it. Hunter helped Shaak Ti sit up and Crosshair helped her drink some water.
"Thank you." Shaak Ti thanked. Hunter and Wrecker made Shaak Ti comfortable while Tech grabbed a packet of supplement and poured it into the canteen. When Wrecker was done, he looked at Shaak Ti and wished he could do more. Then he had an idea.
"I'll be right back." Wrecker stated as he rushed out of the room. Crosshair grabbed a bowl and filled it with cool water and grabbed a cloth. He tended to Shaak Ti's fever and Shaak Ti smiled softly. Wrecker rushed in a few minutes later with Lula and he smiled. He knelt beside Shaak Ti and looked at her shyly. "Lula always helps me when I'm not feeling well, maybe she can help you."
Wrecker handed Lula to Shaak Ti who smiled at the gesture.
"Thank you, Wrecker. You truly have a heart of gold. All of you do." Shaak Ti stated. Echo looked at Tech and the others and sighed.
"I'll go get her some food." Echo said. The brothers nodded and Echo left the room. Shaak Ti began to cough and Hunter placed a hand on her shoulder in fear. When it was over, Shaak Ti grabbed Hunter's hand and squeezed it.
"I'm alright, Hunter. Don't worry."
Hunter nodded, but he couldn't stop worrying. Echo came back several minutes later with a tray of food.
"I was lucky. They almost didn't let me out of the cafeteria with this." Echo stated.
Hunter and Crosshair helped Shaak Ti sit up and Echo placed the tray on Shaak Ti's lap. Shaak Ti looked down at the tray and shook her head.
"I'm afraid I don't have an appetite." Shaak Ti sighed.
"You must try a bite or two. You need to keep your strength up." Tech stated. Shaak Ti had a spoonful of soup and then another. Soon, she had finished her soup and the rest of her meal. "Better?"
"Much."
Crosshair checked Shaak Ti's fever and smirked.
"It's a little better, but you should rest." Crosshair smirked. Shaak Ti nodded and laid down. The brothers made sure was comfortable and then they made themselves comfortable around the room. Shaak Ti smiled and fell asleep.
The batch stayed by Shaak Ti's side for the rest of the day and all night. When morning came, the brothers woke up and saw Shaak Ti stirring in her sleep. The brothers sat up and watched Shaak Ti in concern. Crosshair checked her fever and looked at his brothers.
"No fever," Crosshair whispered. The brothers exhaled in relief and watched as Shaak Ti opened her eyes and looked around.
"Are you boys still here?" Shaak Ti sighed.
"We didn't want to leave you. You don't leave us when we're sick." Wrecker answered.
"You're so good to me."
"You're good to us. The right thing to do is return the favor." Hunter said. Shaak Ti smiled and sat up.
"Leave so I can shower and change clothes. I will meet you later." Shaak Ti ordered.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Hunter, I feel much better and I could use some warm food and some fresh air. The air in this room is getting a little stale."
The brothers left the room and Shaak Ti showered and dressed. When she walked out of her room, she rolled her eyes and shook her head when she saw the batch sitting on the floor waiting.
"You boys are very caring, but there is a thing as being too caring." Shaak Ti sighed.
"We just want to make sure you're really alright." Echo answered.
"I know, but you don't have to watch me like a hawk."
"Look, you can relapse if you're not careful. We just want to make sure that doesn't happen." Hunter said.
"FIne. I will let you stay follow me around today, but if you have a mission, you're going to go complete it. Understood?" Shaak Ti compromised.
"Yes, ma'am."
The brothers kept an eye on Shaak Ti for the rest of the day and Shaak Ti had to chuckle as everyone got irritated with the brothers. As much as she tried to be irritated, she found she's could stay that way for long. The boys were caring and only wanted the best for those they were close to.
The next day, the batch were sent on a mission, but they were content knowing that Shaak Ti was much better.
THE END
This was definitely one of my longer ones, but it's easy to see why.